Is there a more trusted name among consumers than “Consumer Reports”?
But that doesn’t stop the publisher of Consumer Reports, the Consumers Union, from mistreating its customers. This morning I tried to called Consumers Union to find out how one of its newsletters, Consumer Reports Money Advisor, determined that “some 39 million Americans are already accessing their bank accounts through their cell phones,” as it reported in a recent issue. You know what I got? Nothing. There’s not a person who will answer the phone. The message callers get is, “Due to unforeseen conditions we are unavailable to take your call at this time,” and then the automated message suggests that the caller ring back “at a later time.” You can try to reach an operator yourself at (914) 378-2000.
The morale of the story: no enterprise is immuned from screwing up customer service, even the vaunted Consumer Reports.